Independent Living|Assisted Living|Memory Care|Skilled Nursing|Continued Care Retirement Communities|Residential Care Homes|Home Care|Home Health|Hospice|Respite

Independent Living Communities are synonymous with Retirement Communities, Cottages or Senior Living Communities. Seniors looking for apartment style, low maintenance and robust social circles. Independent Living is a great option.

In addition to individual amenities, some Independent Living Communities offer nutritious buffets or meals, scheduled activities, housekeeping services, laundry services, access to exercise equipment, and assistance with transportation. Often, Independent Living Communities offer emergency alert systems to provide peace of mind.

The Independent Living Community itself does not provide assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication management, bathing, dressing, eating or assisting to the bathroom. However, Independent Living Residents can use a third party provider such as Home Health Services or non-medical in-home care to support health care needs as they arise.

Independent Living Communities are typically the most cost effective of the Senior Living Options. Monthly costs vary by geographic location, square footage and amenities. Call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 to help you find the perfect Independent Living for your loved one.

Typically, Assisted Living offers a wide variety of levels of care and diverse services. Non-medical care is built into the assisted living model, often with nursing supervision. Therefore, the Assisted Living’s staff can help a loved one with dressing, bathing, eating, assistance in the bathroom and much more.

Assisted Living communities also work with third party health care providers, such as home health agencies to assist in skilled therapies or visiting physicians to help coordinate health, safety and overall well-being.

Similar to Independent Living, amenities often include and are not limited to culinary cuisine, scheduled activities, housekeeping services, laundry services, access to exercise equipment and assistance with transportation. Common amenities also include exercise areas, game rooms, living areas, salon and much more.

Assisted Livings often have a base rate with an additional level of care cost. Often, the community has a metrics of care indicative of the more care required, the higher the cost. Rates also vary by geographic location, square footage and amenities. Call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 to help you find the perfect Assisted Living option for your loved one.

It’s no wonder with 50 million people worldwide suffering from Alzheimer’s, there are options for Seniors with memory impairment. Memory Care often falls under the same licensing as Assisted Living. Some Assisted Living Communities have a Memory Care wing while other Assisted Livings are free standing Memory Care Communities specializing exclusively in Memory Care. These Memory Care Communities serve the needs of people suffering from Alzheimer’s or other form of dementia.

While Memory Care often has amenities that you may find in Assisted Living such as a beauty salon, common rooms, or kitchens, they are specifically designed for someone suffering from memory impairment. In other words, the kitchen would have safeguards from someone forgetting to turn an oven off. These communities also have safeguards to allow safe and guided wandering to promote one’s safety.

Most Memory Cares are all inclusive in terms of services provided including but not limited to non-medical care, nursing care, balanced meals and snacks, structured activities, housekeeping, laundry and maintenance. They are often all inclusive with pricing as well – typically priced at a higher rate than traditional Assisted Living.

If your loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 today for a complimentary consultation.

Up to 20 days of skilled services are covered by traditional Medicare and up to another 80 days may be mostly covered by traditional Medicare and often supplemented with additional policies. Skilled nursing facilities, (SNF) offer round the clock nursing and certified nursing assistants on staff led by a licensed nursing home administrator.

Some skilled nursing communities focus in short term rehabilitation specializing in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. Other skilled nursing homes have sections with long term care beds for the chronically ill and for seniors whose care is covered by Medicaid, or state funded, need based program.

Amenities differ based on type of skilled nursing community ranging from state of the art facilities and amenities to state funded communities.

Regulations governing skilled nursing communities are much more intricate than traditional assisted livings and memory cares. Call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 today to help navigate through the complexities of skilled nursing.

CCRC’s, sometimes referred as life plan communities, continuum of care often includes independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing. Sometimes there are affiliated services such as non-medical in home care, home health and hospice services to support graceful aging at the CCRC.

Typically, seniors move into the CCRC while still independent. The emphasis at a CCRC is that if a level of care change arises, the person may avoid having to move, except to another level of care within the existing community.

CCRC’s may have all the amenities and features that would be available in the respective spectrum of care buildings. For example, Independent Livings would have the living areas, game rooms and salons, while Memory Care might have circular walking patterns and stations for reminiscing.

CCRC’s are often costly with a wide variety in entrance and recurring fees. Life care contracts guarantee a Senior’s shelter, amenities and care for the rest of a person’s life in return for an initial entrance fee and monthly payment schedules. Other CCRC’s are set up as a fee-for-service contract.

Traditionally, Residential Care Homes have 3-6 seniors with a caregiver 24 hours a day. These homes are often houses in a community converted to allow seniors to live together with a caregiver assisting in activities of daily living, housekeeping, cooking meals and keeping the area clean.

Residential Care Homes may be licensed by the state for regulatory purposes while others are not. These homes range in pricing, high end ones as expensive as large assisted living communities. Most, however, are a very cost-effective option for a loved one with a home like environment.

Many Resident Care Homes are difficult to find as they blend into local neighborhoods with no signage or additional parking lots. Call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 today to help find a local Residential Care Home near you today.

Home Care agencies, also known as Personal Assistant Services, offers caregivers to assist in activities of daily living including but not limited to dressing, bathing, grooming, assistance with toileting, meal preparation, transportation, light housekeeping, etc. Home care can range an hour a week to round the clock care in a loved ones home based on the need. Live-in options are also available.

With few exceptions, home care costs are out of pocket. Home care can be tailored and customized to what someone needs as they need it. Call Cardinal Senior Living Advisors 214-533-8212 to learn more of the benefits of home care.

With a doctor’s order, Home Health clinicians including licensed nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists can come directly to your home to provide skilled needs. These visits can include post-op visits, medication management, therapy in the comfort of your own home and much more.

There are certification periods that will allow home health to be covered under traditional Medicare and each visit is approximately 45-60 minutes long for up to three times a week. Home Health is a great option for acute cases with opportunity for recovery and wellness.

Hospice is appropriate for seniors who have a terminal illness and has certain qualifying triggers such as weight loss or significant change in condition.

Hospice is another resource that is covered under traditional Medicare with a doctor’s order. Hospice services cover all nursing services as well as medications that are related to the primary diagnosis, durable medical equipment needed as well as Chaplin and social services. If you would like to talk more about the services that hospice offers, don’t hesitate to call 214-533-8212 your Cardinal Senior Living Advisor.

There are various options that offer respite care. This could be a home care providing short sessions of care at home to allow a family member to get away. Many Assisted Living Communities and Memory Cares offer short term respite stays to test the community while giving family time away. If you are in need of a break, call your Cardinal Senior Living Advisor to discuss options.